Tank anchor means for tank cars



I Nov. 20, 1956 Filed July 16, 1953 c. H. FOLMSBEE 2,771,040

TANK ANCHOR MEANS FOR TANK CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR CLYDE H. F'OLMSBEE BY 2 v ZATTORNEYS 1956 c. H. FOLMSBEE 2,771,040

TANK ANCHOR MEANS FOR TANK CARS Filed July 16, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CLYDE H FOLMS BEE BY 7 ATTORNEYS United Stateslatenr O TANK ANCHOR MEANS FOR TANK CARS Clyde H. Folmsbee, Charlevoix, MiclL, assignor to Union gank Car Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New ersey Application July 16, 1953, Serial No. 368,279

3 Claims. (Cl. 105-362) This invent-ion relates to the anchoring of tanks to tank cars and has for its general object the provision of improved means for this purpose eliminating the need tor the conventional bands encircling the tank and holding it to the underframe of the car.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a broken out, diagrammatic plan view of some of the major components of a tank car frame illustrating the application of the invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged scale, broken out, vertical section, as on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

'Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the structure of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the locking key of the preferred form of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the anchor member of such form of the invention.

As in conventional tank car construction, the car includes some sort of underframe, herein generally designated 1. For purposes of illustration, it is shown as including cross members 2, located toward the ends of the frame, on which the anchor means are mounted. A portion of the usual longitudinally arranged tank is indicated at 3 (Figs. 2 and 3).

In general, the invention contemplates the use of a cradle secured to the tank and adapted to seat on the underframe and anchor means secured to the underframe alongside the cradle, the cradle and anchor means having opposed surfaces adapted to block the cradle and tank against both lateral and vertical movement, that is, rela tive to the underframe. The anchor means are preferably supplemented by any suitable means, such as a conventional center anchor (not shown) for securing the tank against longitudinal movement.

-The tank cradle illustrated includes a saddle plate 3a and vertical and horizontal plate components 4 and 5. The saddle plate is curved to lit and is secured to the tank shell, as by welding, the vertical plate 4 being secured both to the saddle plate and to the horizontal plate 5 and the latter serving as a base to seat on the underframe. The saddle plate 3a extends beyond the plate 4 (Fig. 3) to engage and support a considerable area of the tank shell. As will be understood, two or more cradles are contemplated, one to seat on each cross member 2 and at the base of each vertical cradle component 4, an outwardly directed fiange is provided, here shown as a member 6 (Fig. 2) welded to the cradle. The construction being identical at each end of each cradle, only one unit construct-ion need be described.

Alongside and on the outer side of the cradle is an anchor member 7 secured to the underframe cross member 2, as by welding. As shown, the anchor member consists of a body portion 8 sustained by stay plates 9 and the body portion 8 is provided with an open-ended, longitudinally extending L-shaped keyway 10 (Fig. 5) open along the inner side of the body portion. Within the keyway is a complementary key 11 of L-shaped section which is of a length to protrude beyond the ends of the anchor member and of a width to project out over the cradle flange 6. Thus, while the inner face of the anchor member body portion serves to block the cradle and tank against lateral movement on the underframe, the key serves to block them against vertical movement. The L- shaped key and keyway are preferred because of the resulting increased resistance to turning of the key by the flange as it tends to rise when the car is negotiating a curve.

As will be understood, the tank and flanged cradle are set in place on the underframe, between the anchor members, and then the key is inserted in its keyway. It will be obvious that in order to serve its described function the key need not be a tight fit in the keyway. To lock the key against shaking loose, pins :12 are driven home in holes 13 formed in the protruding ends of the key. It will be recognized that while the tank is positively blocked against lateral movement and lifting, it is not so blocked against longitudinal expansion. As mentioned above, the tank is assumed to be secured against longitudinal movement relative to the undertrame, as by a conventional center anchor.

In the light of the foregoing illustrative description of the presently preferred form of the invention, the following is claimed:

1. In a tank car incorporating an under-frame and a longitudinally arranged tank, the improvement which comprises: a cradle secured to the tank and adapted to seat on the underframe and having outwardly projecting flanges; a plurality of anchor members secured to the underframe on the outersides of and in position to form a stop for the cradle flange to block the cradle and tank against lateral movement; each of the anchor members having an open-ended, longitudinally extending, L-shaped keyway opening along its inner side; an L-shaped key fitting each of said keyways and having a protruding portion overlying one of the cradle flanges 'to block the cradle and tank against vertical movement; the keys having end portions protruding beyond the respective anchor members; and key locking pins driven through the protruding ends of the keys.

2. In a tank car incorporating an underframe and a longitudinally arranged tank, the improvement which comprises: a cradle secured to the tank and adapted to seat on the underframe; a plurality of anchor members secured to the underframe alongside the cradle on each side thereof and each having a keyway formed therein on the side of the anchor member adjacent the cradle; and a key in and projecting from each of said keyways to "overlie a portion of the cradle; said keyways and keys interfitting and being of L-shaped cross section, thereby increasing the resistance of the keys to turning about their longitudinal axes.

3. In a tank car incorporating an underframe and a longitudinally arranged tank, the improvement which comprises: .a cradle secured to the tank and adapted to seat on the underfame; a plurality of anchor means secured to the underframe alongside the cradle on each side thereof; each of said anchor means including a longitudinally extending key overlying a portion of the cradle; the cradle, anchor means and keys having opposed surttaces adapted to block the cradle and tank against lateral and vertical movement only, whereby the tank is free to expand longitudinally.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,355,814 Coleman Oct. 19, 1920 1,429,685 Nelson Sept. 19, 1922 1,704,662 Flannery Mar. 5, 1929 2,036,200 Eastburn Apr. 7, 1936 2,139,930 Breed et a1 Dec. 13, 1938 2,226,713 Folmsbee Dec. 31, 1940 2,568,453 La Grande Sept. 18, 1951 

